I can’t comment on these twinhomes specifically, but I owned a twinhome in Pennsylvania and loved it.

But then again – it was everything you said you didn’t want… It was old (circa 1905). It had laundry in the basement, detached garage, small- almost non existant – closets.

But it had 10 foot ceilings, beautiful casework around the doors and windows, and charm out the whazooo.

I could occasionally hear my neighbors through the walls. But I got along fine with them and it was never an issue. I had a nice garden and yard. I had no HOAs and the covenenant specified that I couldn’t run a tannery or have a manure pit in the backyard. (Covenant dated to when the area was subdivided in 1898.)

I can’t comment on these twinhomes specifically, but I owned a twinhome in Pennsylvania and loved it.

But then again – it was everything you said you didn’t want… It was old (circa 1905). It had laundry in the basement, detached garage, small- almost non existant – closets.

But it had 10 foot ceilings, beautiful casework around the doors and windows, and charm out the whazooo.

I could occasionally hear my neighbors through the walls. But I got along fine with them and it was never an issue. I had a nice garden and yard. I had no HOAs and the covenenant specified that I couldn’t run a tannery or have a manure pit in the backyard. (Covenant dated to when the area was subdivided in 1898.)

[quote=lepetitangel] . . . I’ve looked at lots of older homes (built prior to 1990) with no HOA or mello-roos. The problem with these old homes are: older homes are seriously not designed as functional as newer homes. I want laundry rooms, I dont’ want to do my laundry in the garage, I want more light in my house, I want walk-in closet. These are all features that’re not included in the older homes.[/quote]

These are all superficial objections that can be cured, lepetitangel. Skylights are inexpensive but paying for their installation could be costlier. Moving a wall to enlarge a closet or add an indoor laundry room is also inexpensive if you can do the ducting work and minor plumbing and electrical work yourself. Walling off a section or corner in the front of a large garage and installing doors inside the house to your new laundry room and new “clean-up” 3/4 bath (with poss. another door to the garage) is doable also and I have seen this done a few times in attached “garage-workshops.” None of these modifications require permits. (UCGal, correct me if skylights need permits, but I don’t think so.)

[quote=lepetitangel]. . . Or should I just go for the old single family house instead of the semi-old twinhome?[/quote]

Absolutely, you should go for the older SFR. Even if you have to hire professionals to eventually help get an older property the way you want, with all the $$ you will be throwing away on MR and HOA in a condo or PUD, you could do an *incredible* amount of remodeling and/or redecorating in an older SFR, and, when you are finished, you STILL don’t have any MR or HOA to pay!

Look at it this way. With a condo or PUD, you WILL NEVER HAVE AN *ADEQUATE* LOT OR DRIVEWAY SIZE and you can’t fix this, ever. With an SFR, you can, both at the time of purchase and the entire time you own the property. It is yours. All other things can be fixed.

[quote=lepetitangel] . . . I’ve looked at lots of older homes (built prior to 1990) with no HOA or mello-roos. The problem with these old homes are: older homes are seriously not designed as functional as newer homes. I want laundry rooms, I dont’ want to do my laundry in the garage, I want more light in my house, I want walk-in closet. These are all features that’re not included in the older homes.[/quote]

These are all superficial objections that can be cured, lepetitangel. Skylights are inexpensive but paying for their installation could be costlier. Moving a wall to enlarge a closet or add an indoor laundry room is also inexpensive if you can do the ducting work and minor plumbing and electrical work yourself. Walling off a section or corner in the front of a large garage and installing doors inside the house to your new laundry room and new “clean-up” 3/4 bath (with poss. another door to the garage) is doable also and I have seen this done a few times in attached “garage-workshops.” None of these modifications require permits. (UCGal, correct me if skylights need permits, but I don’t think so.)

[quote=lepetitangel]. . . Or should I just go for the old single family house instead of the semi-old twinhome?[/quote]

Absolutely, you should go for the older SFR. Even if you have to hire professionals to eventually help get an older property the way you want, with all the $$ you will be throwing away on MR and HOA in a condo or PUD, you could do an *incredible* amount of remodeling and/or redecorating in an older SFR, and, when you are finished, you STILL don’t have any MR or HOA to pay!

Look at it this way. With a condo or PUD, you WILL NEVER HAVE AN *ADEQUATE* LOT OR DRIVEWAY SIZE and you can’t fix this, ever. With an SFR, you can, both at the time of purchase and the entire time you own the property. It is yours. All other things can be fixed.

[quote=lepetitangel] . . . I’ve looked at lots of older homes (built prior to 1990) with no HOA or mello-roos. The problem with these old homes are: older homes are seriously not designed as functional as newer homes. I want laundry rooms, I dont’ want to do my laundry in the garage, I want more light in my house, I want walk-in closet. These are all features that’re not included in the older homes.[/quote]

These are all superficial objections that can be cured, lepetitangel. Skylights are inexpensive but paying for their installation could be costlier. Moving a wall to enlarge a closet or add an indoor laundry room is also inexpensive if you can do the ducting work and minor plumbing and electrical work yourself. Walling off a section or corner in the front of a large garage and installing doors inside the house to your new laundry room and new “clean-up” 3/4 bath (with poss. another door to the garage) is doable also and I have seen this done a few times in attached “garage-workshops.” None of these modifications require permits. (UCGal, correct me if skylights need permits, but I don’t think so.)

[quote=lepetitangel]. . . Or should I just go for the old single family house instead of the semi-old twinhome?[/quote]

Absolutely, you should go for the older SFR. Even if you have to hire professionals to eventually help get an older property the way you want, with all the $$ you will be throwing away on MR and HOA in a condo or PUD, you could do an *incredible* amount of remodeling and/or redecorating in an older SFR, and, when you are finished, you STILL don’t have any MR or HOA to pay!

Look at it this way. With a condo or PUD, you WILL NEVER HAVE AN *ADEQUATE* LOT OR DRIVEWAY SIZE and you can’t fix this, ever. With an SFR, you can, both at the time of purchase and the entire time you own the property. It is yours. All other things can be fixed.

Given the choice, get an older SFH versus a twin home. One added advantage is no Mello-ruse (sic)…

Given the choice, get an older SFH versus a twin home. One added advantage is no Mello-ruse (sic)…